The Week For Newcastle United 19 Part 1

This week’s week for Newcastle United will be slightly different as I split it into 2 separate articles. The first article will be about the first team, and the second part will be about the Lasses, Academy and the NFTV Focused non-league sides as well as all the tables and fixtures for the upcoming week. 

Our defence of the league cup is over with a whimper as we were beaten 5-1 on aggregate last night by Manchester City. There is no shame in losing to them over two legs that’s not the issue. The issue is that from the moment the line-up was released it felt like we had accepted our fate and the second leg was merely a formality.

Before the game it showed the tunnel and shows Trippier being held waiting for the Manchester City players. He was turning around, looking inpatient frustrated but the way I was seeing that was not with a burning desire to get into the game and fight for it more of a “Come on want to get this out the way now”

I didn’t like that at all and yes, I might have read that all wrong because I was already wound up by the line up but if there is to be big changes in the summer then I expect Trippier to among them. That being said, Trippier was the first player to sign up for the project and has given us some quality moments and been vital for us until Tino arrived and surpassed him with importance but thank you Trippier you have been a big part of this Journey if you do go in the summer.

The first half was diabolical, the defending was all over the place, we had some chances and did nothing with it and the moment we conceded that 3^rd (1^st) the game was over and as I said with the line up and how the tunnel looked, I wasn’t surprised.

We made some changes before and after half time and they did make a difference. Elanga in particular looked very bright, took his goal very well (Before a glaring miss) but hopefully the goal and the fans in attendance chanting his name gives him confidence going into the next run of games. For me Elanga has to start against Brentford and Tottenham, only by a run of games against teams he can hurt will his confidence start to build.

Gordon went off with a hamstring niggle just before half time. There is two ways I am looking at this is 1. I hope he isn’t injured long term because we do not need anymore injuries to the squad. 2. If he isn’t injured and he is back on Saturday, yes, I’m glad we don’t have an injury but that also looks like he thought, “Na I’m not up for this in the second half” Which is a massive problem and will only add to his criticisms this season. Either way that injury is more awful news to come out of the second leg.

Now on to Eddie Howe, I asked in my article right after the Man Utd game before Christmas

 “Time to go or dark before the dawn?”

I believe that it is time for Eddie Howe to go this summer. You could make an argument that he may need to go now but because of the amount of games we have I have a nasty feeling that may bring into play an interim manager situation which could prove counterproductive so if he were to go at the end of the season gives the hierarchy the opportunity to start the work now looking for Eddie’s successor, Eddie still is the manager that took the job when others didn’t want to take the risk and won that trophy, he knows the squad, as the fans in attendance last showed still gets backed in the stadium by the match going fans and he is a fantastic coach who still can pull off big results.

The players must front some of the responsibility as well. Woltemade had a brilliant start but looks to be struggling now and the question from a lot of fans is are we playing to his strengths? Wissa has been poor overall, and I think back to the summer and our troubles with Isak and Wissa did the same. Is there an attitude issue with Wissa?

The transfer window has only cemented my belief that Eddie will leave this summer. Different rhetoric coming from the Hierarchy and from Eddie gives out mixed messages, but I think it was obvious to see that we needed at least one signing through the door. The question there is who you believe?

Here are NFTV Member’s Connors assessment of the transfer window the day after it

closed.

I don’t want to believe that the owners have lost interest. They do have their hands in a lot of pots, but the Premier League is a global phenomenon and owning a club that are competing at the right end of the league will be vital in the global vision. However, it is very clear that Newcastle behind the scenes isn’t the same as it was under Amanda Staveley. This season has been a struggle on the pitch and there has been a lot of changes behind the scenes as well and that new shift may completely come to the forefront in the summer regardless of how the season ends on the pitch.

What is crazy is that the Man City game was our 1^st of 8 in February. We next play at home to Brentford before 4 away games in 12 days.

The Champions League will be a welcome distraction. We drew Qarabag which on the face of it is a tie we should be getting through over two legs, but we cannot ignore the logistics that away game has thrown up. I do expect us to get through where we will play either Barcelona or Chelsea but could all our eggs be in a Champions League basket by the time we play them.

It has not been a positive week for the first team, and it could be another mixed month with the number of games that we have. The transfer window has gone, and this is the squad we’ve got to work with. We all know how good a coach Eddie Howe is and he has the Quality to turn things around and go on a positive run.

The Champions League may be a welcome distraction; the FA cup could go either way it is a tough draw for either side and the Premier League run for February doesn’t see any games where I automatically think yeah guaranteed 3 points here. We need a minimum of 4 points from Brentford and Spurs in my opinion; The Fa cup will be what will be and make sure we give our fans a performance and a positive night in Baku.

Our season is on a knife-edge and could very well be defined in the coming weeks.